Chimney-top.



F. W. FERGUSON.

CHIMNEY TOP. APPLIUATIQN FILED AUG. 22, 1912.

1 ,O91,883. Patented Mar. 31, 1914,

I I Allarney I COLUMBIA PLAN ooooooooooooooooooooooo c4 FRANCIS W.FERGUSON, 0F LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY.

CHIMNEY-TOP.

Original application filed. March Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented "Mar. 31, iota.

22, 1912. Serial No. 716,486.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANoIs W. Functison, a citizen of the UnitedStates, reslding at Louisville, in the county of Jefierson and State ofKentucky, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Chimney-Tops; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, andexact descriptlon of the invention, such as will enable others skilledin the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to chimneys and esecially to the top or dischargeendsthereof.

The principal object of the invention disclosed in this application,which is a division of my pending application Ser. No. 684:,876, filedMarch 19, 1912, is to protect the masonry at the top of the chimney fromhaving the mortar washed out and from being discolored by dirty waterrunning down the outside of the chimney.

Another object is to prevent rain or snow from passing down the flue ofthe chimney, so that said flue may be left open for ventilation when thefires are out, as during the summer season, without danger of rustingout the metal pipes ordinarily used for connecting furnaces and stovesto the flue. It is common practice to take down these connecting pipesin the summer time where the flue is not protected from rain. The timeand trouble incident to this practice is obviated when the presentinvention is used on the chimney.

The invention will hereinafter be first fully described with referenceto the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification,and then pointed out in the claims following the description.

In the drawings: Figure 1 is a side elevation of a brick chimneyequipped with this invention. Fig. 2 is a transverse vertical sectionthereof. Fig. 8 is a top plan view of the same. Fig. 4 is a horizontalsection taken through the openings in the sides of the cap. Fig. 5 is asection taken on the line 55 of Fig. 2. Fig. 6 is a broken verticalsection on the line 66 of Fig. l. Fig. 7 is a broken vertical section ofa modified construction, and Fig. 8 is a broken horizontal section ofanother modification.

Referring to the drawings by letters of reference, A designates theupper part or end of the usual rectangular brick chimney having a finea. The improved top may be placed directly upon the brick work, therebydispensing with the cap-stone ordinarily used. Thus, the top may beplaced upon the chimney as the last step in its construction, as shown,and may consist of a guardplate or frame B, a cap C and a wind-shield D.The guard-plate is preferably formed with a short tubular section 6extending downwardly from its inner edge and fitting around the cap C.The lower end of this tubular section rests upon the top layer of bricksof the chimney. The guard-plate slopes downwardly and outwardly from theupper end of said tubular section and also rests upon the top layer ofbricks at the outer edge of the same. Said guard-plate projects beyondthe sides of the chimney proper, as at 79 and preferably has its margincurved downwardly and terminating in a bead 6 The cap 0 may consist of atubular section, the lower end of which fits into the upper end of theflue a. The upper end of said tubular section is closed, as at o,preferably by a dome-shaped cover made integral therewith. Intermediateof its ends said tubular section of the cap may be provided with anoutwardly and downwardly extending flange 0 which overlaps theguard-plate for preventing water from entering between the tubularsection Z) of said guard-plate and the tubular section of the cap.

The wind-shield D may be in the form of a vertical wall inclosing arectangular space, including the upper portion of the cap, and arrangedin alinement with the outer surfaces of the walls of the chimney so asto conform to the shape of the latter. Said windshield preferably restsupon the guard-plate and terminates at its upper end substantially on alevel with the top of the cap. In the preferred form, the wind-shield ismade integral with the cap, being connected thereto wings d preferablyarranged at the four corners. These partitions or wings serve to dividethe space between the wind-shield and cap into four compartments dOpcnings (Z are provided at or near the lower edge of the wind-shield,out of horizontal alinement with and preferably below openings in thesides of the tubular section of the cap.

\Vhen the top is to be placed upon the by vertical partitions or ichimney, the guard-plate is first laid on top of the masonry with itstubular section Z) registering with the flue opening. The combined capand wind-shield is then adjusted by inserting the lower portion 0 of thecap through said tubular section of the guardplate and down into theflue until the lower edge of the wind-shield and the flange 0 come incontact with said guard-plate, as shown in Fig. 2. It is desirable toplace a thinlayer or filling of cement E between the flange and plate,between the tubular section of'said plate and the portion of the caparranged within the same, and also between the inner wall of the flueand the part of the cap which extends into said flue. This filling ofcement binds the cap securely to the chimney, and as long as said capremains in place, it will retain the guard plate in proper position.

As illustrated at (Z in Fig. 2, the compartmentsd which may beconsidered as outer fiues, are open at the top to permit the escape ofthe products said compartments from the flue a through the openings 0 inthe cap. This discharge of the products of combustion is accelerated bythe wind or air circulating in through the openings (Z in thewind-shield. The incline of the guard-plate aids by giving an upwardlift to this wind or air. Said openings (Z also serve as drains for thecompartments, preventing the collection of water therein which wouldtend to rust out the device if the same is made of metal. It ispreferable, however, toconstruct the device of reinforced material, suchas cement, concrete or clay. The outer surface of the wind-shield may becolored and marked to conform to the brick or stone work of the chimney,as shown in Fig. 1, whereby the device is not only pleasing inappearance, but practically indiscernible as a separate part from thechimney itself.

Should the wind or air currents which enter one or two of thecompartments in the wind-shield interfere in any way with the smokebeing discharged through said compartm-ents, the other two compartments,which are not subjected to the direct influence of the wind, are ampleto carry ofi all of the products of combustion from the flue by reasonof the fact that the cross-sectional area of any two adjacentcompartments is about equal to or greater than that of the flue or cap.That part of the wind which strikes the attachment and does not pass inthrough one or more of the openings in the wind-shield, is turnedsharply upward by the Hat outer surfaces of the wind-shield and, as saidwind passes above and beyond the open ends of the compartments, itfurther increases the draft by tending to create a vacuum in saidcompartments. This in of combustion which enter plate may be madeintegral with the cap as shown in Fig. 7, thereby dispensing with theflange 0 It will also be observed that the wind-shield and partitions (Zmay be made in a separate piece from the cap, if desired, as shown inFig. 8.

It is obvious that when it rains or snows, water will enter thecompartments of the wind-shield through their open upper ends and bedischarged from the outer edges of the guard-plate well beyond thesidesof the chimney by reason of the projecting portion 6 of said plate.There is, consequently, no danger of water reaching and washing out themortar at the top of the masonry of the chimney, or of dirty or soot-ywater from the interior of the wind-shield running down the sides of thechimney and marring its appearance. The cover of the cap, of course,excludes rain or snow from the flue, thus making it unnecessary to takedown connecting pipes from furnaces or stoves to prevent said pipes.from rusting out when the fires are out, as already explained.

Having thus described my invention, What I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent is i 1. A chimney top comprising a cap, a guardplate the outer edge of which terminates beyond and is free from theouter surface of the chimney proper, and the inner edge of whichterminates in a downwardly extending tubular section fitting around thecap for holding the plate rigidly in position, the lower edge of saidtubular section resting upon the top of the chimney proper.

2. A chimney top comprising a cap, a guard plate inclined outwardly and-down wardly and having a downwardly extending tubular section at itsinner around said cap, the lower edge of said tubular section and theouter portion of the inclined guard plate itself resting upon the top oft e chimney proper.

3. A chimney top comprising a cap fitting the flue, a guard-plateextending outwardly from said cap and covering the top of the chimneyproper, said plate being inclined outwardly and downwardly and'having atubular section at its inner edge fitting around said. cap, the loweredge of said tubular section and the outer portion of the inclinedguard-plate'itself resting upon the top of the chimney proper.

4. A chimney top comprising a cap fitting the flue, and a guard-plateextending from edge fitting I said cap in a continuous outward anddoWnbular section resting upon the top of the 10 Ward incline to a ointWell beyond the outer chimney proper.

surface of the chimney proper, the outer In testimony whereof I afiix mysignature edge of said plate terminating beyond and in the presence oftwo Witnesses.

bein free from the outer surface of the chini ney proper, and the inneredge of said FRANCIS FERGUSON plate terminating in a tubular sectionfit- Vitnesses:

ting around the cap for holding the plate ARTHUR DOLL rigidly inposition, the lower edge of said tu- RUDOLPH LOESER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of latents, Wanhington, D. 0."

